To say that singer/songwriter Billy Ray Cyrus has just completed the most important album of his life might sound far-fetched considering that his 1992 debut, Some Gave All, sold nine million copies and topped the pop charts for a record-smashing 17 weeks. But the unpredictable Flatwoods, Kentucky-native is set to pleasantly surprise fans new and old with a deeply inspired eleventh album of hard-hitting songs titled Back to Tennessee. "My purpose in life is to reflect an image of meaning and inspiration," Billy Ray says, "and to make music that touches people in deep and lasting ways."

Track Listing1. Back to Tennessee2. Thrillbilly3. He's Mine4. Somebody Said a Prayer5. A Good Day6. I Could Be the One7. Like Nothing Else8. Country as Country Can Be9. Love is the Lesson10. Give it to Somebody11. Real GoneBonus Track: Butterfly Fly Away (feat. Miley Cyrus)

Album Notes and Credits

Notes & Personnel Info

Audio Mixer: Derek Bason.

Audio Remasterer: Hank Williams .

Billed as one of Billy Ray Cyrus's most personal albums, BACK TO TENNESSEE finds the achey-breaky star of screen and country music stage mining a somewhat retro vein. "Real Gone" is straight-up 1970's-style rock, powered by a big guitar riff right out of the Foghat songbook, while "Back to Tennessee"'s soaring backing vocals and catchy melodies recall classic soft rock. On "Somebody Said a Prayer" Cyrus's weathered vocals are a good match for the song's spiritually uplifting message. Throughout, Billy Ray delivers a unique blend of old and new, forging a country style that is steeped in the purest pop, yet retains an earthy edge.

Professional Reviews

Billboard (p.28) - "[A] solid testament to Cyrus' staying power....Highlights include 'Somebody Said a Prayer,' a powerful statement about belief in a higher power, and 'Love Is the Lesson'..."

Bio

Billy Ray Cyrus

Country superstar Billy Ray Cyrus joins NBC this summer as host of Nashville Star. Spanning the last 15 years, Cyrus has had a phenomenal career not only in the music world but in film and television, as well.

Last summer, Cyrus released his tenth album, Home at Last, on Walt Disney Records. The first single from the album, "Ready, Set, Don't Go," is a heartfelt ballad he wrote for his daughter Miley as she prepared to leave for Los Angeles from Tennessee to start production on Hannah Montana. The duet (featuring Miley Cyrus) and album both topped the Country charts.

Billy Ray recently recorded the Sheryl Crow-penned track "Real Gone" for the Country Sings Disney CD. The song is also included on his eleventh studio album, Back to Tennessee, produced by Grammy-winning producer Mark Bright (Rascal Flatts, Carrie Underwood).

The multi-platinum singer/songwriter's musical roots go back to his childhood in Kentucky when the young Cyrus was singing with his father's gospel quartet before he started grade school. Discovered in 1990 while opening for Reba McEntire, Cyrus holds the record by a debut artist for his album Some Gave All which was #1 on Billboard's Hot 100 Album chart for 17 weeks. His album Some Gave All certified multi-platinum, selling 14 million copies worldwide, while his other albums, It Won't Be the Last and Storm in the Heart certified platinum and gold respectively. He won Favorite New Artist -- Country and Favorite Single -- Country for "Achy Breaky Heart" at the American Music Awards. His hit single "Achy Breaky Heart" also earned him Single of the Year by the Country Music Association and the BMI Robert J. Burton Award in 1993.